Infant mortality gap widens for Black and white babies

An increase in sudden unexpected infant deaths among Black infants has reversed years of declining racial disparities for U.S. infant deaths, a JAMA Network Open study found. Sudden unexpected infant deaths include sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed and unexplained causes. Between 2003 and 2019, racial differences in mortality declined from 7.7 to 6.0 deaths per 1,000 live births, the study found. In 2020, however, the gap started growing, reaching 6.4 more deaths per 1,000 among Black children in 2024. Healthcare professionals should emphasize the baby should sleep alone, always on its back, and in a crib or bassinet free of blankets, pillows or other items. The authors analyzed data from more than 366,000 infant deaths from 2003 through 2024. (Medscape article, 9/25/26)